


am i what you wanted

by cao



Category: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Blood, Gun Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Tony Stark Has A Heart, fast cars yall, ned knows, peter is dumb af like come on, tony stark is basically peter's dad at this point, whats a speed limit idk her
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2019-05-26 15:33:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15003917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cao/pseuds/cao
Summary: MJ would never confess to her obnoxious crush on Peter Parker, she wasn't the type of person to get crushes. But of course Parker had to break that trend with his oversized sweaters and curly hair and giant smile and a complete understanding of her feminist agenda and his constant apologies.She hated him.She hates him even more when he's lying on the floor in his own blood still apologising to her.





	am i what you wanted

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy! It's long af bc at this point i just like typing w my fake nails. idk what responsible writing is.

Michelle considered herself an independent woman, she didn't ask anyone for anything, ever. So when she found herself in front of Peter's locker with Ned waiting for the loser himself to show up she could have kicked herself in frustration. She's been aware of Peter since kindergarten, but he hadn't been cute until high school. He'd finally found some clothes that fit, styled the mess of curls on his head, and fixed his slightly crooked teeth. Now when she saw him her stomach flipped and she had the stupid urge to actually laugh at his jokes. Then again, he'd become sort of an enigma since freshman year. He'd dropped out of his clubs, only choosing to continue the academic decathlon at the last moment, he was never at school or practice, and he always rushed off as soon as the last bell rang for his "Stark Internship". Ever since she became captain of the team it really was exhausting trying to keep track of him, she pitied Liz and applauded her for her general ability to keep him in line. Although it may have been helpful that Parker had been in love with her. she shifted her weight onto her back foot and adjusted her books, Parker was absolutely frustrating, he couldn't even show up to school on time. Sure enough, as soon as she thought it, Peter came strolling down the hallway with his earbuds shoved into his ears and his hands on the strap of his backpack like he was afraid someone would steal it, it looked brand new. He shook himself out of his daze to smile and wave politely to a group of girls who immediately turned around giggling and whispering. Michelle frowned. Peter looked up and smiled at her and Ned when he saw them by his locker and quickened his pace. 

"Hi Ned! Hey MJ!" He was smiling with the smile she noticed he used around Ned and his Aunt, which he'd somehow extended to her, she spent hours wondering whether that meant he liked her or just considered her a friend. 

"Hey Peter!" Ned smiled back and held down a yawn.

"Hey Loser." MJ internally cursed herself, why didn't she say something nice.

Peter just smiled his brilliant smile and opened his locker, shoving his books into their places before turning around, "Now I know you'd only be over here if Ned made you, so what do you want Ned?" 

"Oh, yeah my parents are gonna be gone Saturday and I was wondering if you guys wanted to come over, maybe watch movies?"

 "I can ask Mr. Stark for the day!" Peter smiled, "MJ?"

"Uh, yeah i'll be there to watch your dork movies." Peter was staring at her with a soft smile and she felt her stomach do flips.

"Great! i'll see you guys at lunch!" Ned hurried off to his first hour class, leaving Peter and MJ alone by his locker. 

"So," Peter narrowed his eyes, "What's Ned paying you to stay in the same room as me?"

"I'll have you know, I willingly agreed to this." She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes in return.

Peter's face broke out in a grin that could have ended her life, "Maybe it's a sign you actually like me."

"Bold of you to assume that Parker." 

He laughed and waved as he disappeared down the hallway, leaving Michelle alone. She shook herself out of the fog in her brain and moved on to class. 

She avoided him until lunch. She used to sit at the end of the table, as far from Peter and Ned as she could get, until she'd actually become their friends. Now she sat with them everyday, not next to Peter of course, but across from him. She usually blocked out their voices and stuffed her nose into her book, until they would whisper intently about something, then she'd listen. Peter would notice every time and change the subject immediately. So far she'd failed to figure out what they were so intent on keeping a secret. She wouldn't have been surprised if Peter was hiding something to do with Tony Stark. Most people didn't believe in his internship but she did, why would he lie. And why wouldn't he know something about the place. Maybe it had to do with the Accords, or the rumours that the outlawed Avengers were to return or something about Stark himself. So when he dropped his tray on the table in front of him and sat down in a huff she had to ask. 

"Something bothering you?" 

"Why do you care?" He frowned immediately as if he could see how she'd flinched inwardly, "Sorry, MJ, I didn't mean that, I just, there's something going on."

She quickly hid her disappointment from being probably the only person on earth Peter Parker had gotten upset with, "Well obviously, what is it?" 

"It's just the internship, it's a lot and I really need to be focused right now but Mr. Stark won't call me out of school to let me help." He turned red the moment he said it, "NOT that he usually, um, calls me out of school or that I need his permission," His sentence trailed off. 

"Sure Parker." She rolled her eyes, "What's the big secret?"

"I, I really can't say anything it's like crazy top secret." His eyes were shining at the idea of knowing a secret probably only three people in the world knew, him Tony Stark, and possibly Pepper Potts. 

"So top secret you can't even tell your best friends?" She pushed him with a feigned innocence, she really just wanted to see how he reacted.

He opened and closed his mouth a few times before grinning, "You said i'm your best friend!"

"Hey! I said you AND Ned, you more towards second because you're never here," She pointed the comment at him and saw him wince, "Now don't change the subject."

"No. I really can't MJ it's, it's big." He rubbed the back of his neck like he always did when he was stressed, "Sorry." 

Ned interrupted them then, dropping his tray down and immediately complaining about their last calc test. MJ didn't stop studying Peter though, sneaking glances at him throughout the entire lunch. He kept checking his phone for messages, from Tony Stark she presumed, it must be some internship if he really had Tony Stark's number. When he finally got one from the person he wanted he answered it so quickly MJ wouldn't have known he'd even had his phone out if she hadn't been watching. He frowned at the response. 

"Peter?" 

"Huh, sorry, what Ned?" He'd shoved his phone into his pocket. 

"I asked if you had any movie thoughts for Saturday." 

"Uh, whatever is fine, I might, might be late though." 

"Peter!" Ned was frowning, and MJ hated when he frowned, Ned was the type of person who could make you do anything if he just looked the slightest bit upset.

"I'm really sorry Ned it's just, it's just something with Mr. Stark and I really have to be there or I could miss something." 

"Can't Stark have some other high school student take his notes for him?" MJ leaned forward on her elbows so Peter would have to look at her. 

He gulped before answering, "Well, I do more than that, and it's a task specifically targeted to my... skills set." 

"What like memorising his coffee order?" She scoffed, she knew the minute she said it she should have said something else. 

He rubbed his neck again, "It's just different, MJ." 

She was frowning now too, surely he'd at least tell Ned, but it seemed like Ned was as much in the dark as she was. 

"Can't you ask for one day off, it's the weekend, and you practically live there Peter." Ned didn't look happy as he pushed his best friend for an answer. 

"I can't." Peter looked really upset now, "Look, I'd tell you if i could but I can't so just, please." 

"Okay, I'm sorry dude." Ned hid his emotions as he switched the subject. 

Peter put his head down and stared at his phone the rest of the lunch period. 

 

When Saturday rolled around MJ was surprised to find herself worrying as to what she should wear. It never mattered to her before, so why did it matter now. Damn it Parker. She scowled and pulled on a pair of black jeans and, after some persuasion on her older sister's part, a yellow tank top. She even let her sister put lip gloss on her before she left. 

So when she showed up ten minutes late she wasn't surprised to find that peter wasn't there. 

"Hey MJ!" Ned opened the door with a smile, "Nice outfit!" 

"Oh, uh, thanks." She smiled back at him, happy for a moment it was just them, "Is Peter, already in your room?" 

"No he's late," Ned laughed though, "You wore that for him didn't you!" 

"No!" She cried out, "I just, thought it would be nice." 

"Sure, I see you two. It's infuriating." He shook his head. 

"What do you mean, does Peter like me?"

"Well, I didn't say anything but, it's obvious. He's always commenting on what you wear or your hair or your feminist theories. You two really ought to do something about it, everyone'es been waiting forever." He motioned for her to come in and hung her jacket on a peg by the door.

"What do you mean everyone?" She could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks. 

"Uh, like the entire decathalon team, even Flash thinks you guys should just do something already! Are you hungry? I have snacks but I could make you something to eat." 

"Flash? So Peter really does like me?" 

"Of course, ugh, he never stops talking about you." Ned smiled at her, "But he's too far gone to realise it himself." 

"oh." She ran her fingers over the material of her shirt, "Well I kind of like him too." 

"I know," He nodded, "You should ask him out, his excuse he tells me is 'The internship Ned!" 

She smiled at his imitation, "Maybe I will." 

So they sat down and picked the first movie, but by the time it was over Peter still hadn't shown up. So they picked another one, careful to avoid his favourites so if he did show up he wouldn't be sad he'd missed them. They got about halfway into that one before there was a faint knocking on Ned's window. They thought it was a bird until it happened again, a little louder this time. So Ned hurried to the window and opened the curtain, throwing the window open he let out a gasp. MJ jumped to her feet. Spider-Man was sitting outside of Ned's window. 

"Is that-" She stepped closer. 

"Yeah." Ned's voice was soft. 

And Spider-Man let out a groan and leaned forwards until he was falling into Ned's room, tumbling to the floor and letting out a gasp of pain. He reached up and tugged at his mask, MJ was about to freak out, sure she'd wanted to know who the Spider-Man was, but not like this, not on the floor of her best friend's room at ten o' clock on a Saturday night. And yeah she had a bit of a crush on Spider-Man because he was a good guy but she was truthfully terrified. What if he died. He was still struggling with his mask but he managed to grasp it and tug it off, and MJ couldn't breathe. Because laying on the floor in front of her was Peter. Peter who was supposed to be a nerd and read books and do well in school but poorly in gym was Spider-Man. It all suddenly made sense, the absences, the bruises, the whispering, the secrets. All of it. And Peter, who was probably the gentlest soul in New York was the person who went out at night and solved crime, saved people. He was the source of the discussion in their english class, and she wondered how it felt to listen to everyone analyse you and what you do and your efforts to save people. But Peter was there, on the floor, his jaw was bruised and he was bleeding from his mouth and nose. 

"Peter-" Ned crouched down beside him as if asking what he had to do. 

"Couldn't- couldn't make it to Mr. Stark." He was holding his side and his breathing was irregular. 

"What happened?" Ned reached over to move his hands but Peter was shaking his head. 

"Is, it's not, not-" He was struggling to speak, to describe what happened. 

"peter-" MJ was surprised to hear her own voice. 

His head snapped sideways so he was looking at her, "Oh no, no MJ you weren't supposed, not supposed to know. I didn't want you, to know." he stopped to suck in air. 

"Hey at least we don't have to whisper anymore." Ned forced a smile. 

And Peter laughed, he had the nerve to laugh as he lay there possibly bleeding out on Ned's carpet, "Thank goodness." He gasped as his side twitched and he pulled his gloved hand away, but they could all see the blood. 

"Peter, you need to take of the suit." MJ knelt next to him, "How do I?"

He reached up and tapped the spider emblem twice and the suit loosened to where he could easily slip it off, but he couldn't move, so MJ wiggled the suit out from under him until he was laying there only in his chequered boxers. She tried not to look. He was still holding his hands over his side, trying to obstruct the wound from their view. 

"Ned, Ned you have to call, call Mr. Stark." He pointed to his phone, which was laying by the window on the ground and Ned leapt up to find the number. 

MJ was looking at him when she heard him, "MJ," He sounded small, tired, like a child who'd been up too long. 

"Yeah." She tried not to look at his side but found her eyes glued to it. 

"I'm sorry." She looked into his eyes, they were wide and pained and serious, so unlike anything she'd seen from him, "I didn't mean for you to know, I'm sorry." He shuddered when his hands pressed to hard onto his side. 

And she didn't want to, oh god, she would have so much rather dealt with her crush then, but she couldn't, Peter needed her. So she gently lifted his hands from the bloody area and sucked a breath in through her teeth, "What happened?" 

"A guy, he was, hurting this girl." He was looking at the ceiling, "And I stopped him but he- he shot me. And he hit me, he wouldn't stop hitting me." Peter's voice was rushed and choking, "And I couldn't stop thinking about you and what you would have done so I webbed him up and I had to get away, I couldn't- it hurt so badly." 

MJ pushed his hair out of his face and ran her thumb across his cheek, "It's okay, Peter, you did so well." 

'I have to, clean it." He moved to sit up but MJ held his shoulders. 

"No, Peter you'll hurt yourself." She blinked away tears. 

Spider-Man was supposed to be an adult, someone who could handle it. Not her friend. Not her crush. Not the boy she'd known since kindergarten. Now when she thought of Spider-Man at the monument, she could only see Peter, trying not to panic as he rushed to save the team, and avoid the police. Spider-Man was supposed to be someone like Tony Stark, big and bold and an adult. Not her Peter. Not a kid who was scared of dying, of being alone, of being without Tony Stark. 

But Spider-Man was Peter. 

Peter Parker. 

A kid. 

 

She felt like she couldn't breathe. 

 

Ned was beside her suddenly, "Peter, Peter Mr. Stark is coming, he's coming." 

"I'm going to be in so much trouble." Peter groaned, blood dripping out of his mouth, "I told him I'd be here by nine at the latest."

"That's what you're thinking about?" MJ almost screamed at him, he was bleeding out and this is what he was thinking about

"Yeah, I have a curfew." He smiled at her, that stupid smile that made her insides turn and her head spin and her heart flutter. That Peter Parker smile. 

 

Tony Stark was at the house less than three minutes later, so MJ didn't want to know how fast he had driven. He was in Ned's room in less than one and kneeling by Peter's side. 

"Hey buddy," The billionaire smiled down at Peter, "How are you feeling?"

"I've been better." He smiled back up at his idol, "I think, I think it's still in me." 

Tony didn't hesitate, "Alright kid, i'm going to have to pick you up, okay." 

"Okay," he nodded at Tony, "Okay."

Tony gingerly scooped Peter into his arms, lifting the boy slowly and wincing when Peter let out a gasp of pain. 

"Come on Ted, er, Ned, sorry, and i assume Michelle." Tony Stark slowly carried him out the house and to his car, motioning for Ned to climb in the front and MJ the back, he helped Peter climb in the back and lay across the seats, his head was in MJ's lap. He was staring up at her and smiling a little, she forced herself to smile back and brushed his hair out of his eyes. Tony climbed in the front and shot off faster than Michelle had ever driven in a car, far over the speed limit. When she looked back down Peter's eyes were closed and his chest was rising and falling very slowly. 

"Mr. Stark!" She cried out, "He passed out!" 

"Okay," Tony pressed the gas pedal all the way to the floor. 

When they arrived at the avengers compound, MJ was far too distracted by Peter to be in awe. He was breathing shakily and his skin was pale and a single tear was running down his cheek. Tony leaned in to the back and slowly lifted Peter once more, carrying him into to compound while calling for them to follow. Tony lays him on the couch and runs to find his first aid kit and tweezers. When he comes back Peter's awake again. 

"You bled on my car seats." Tony says to distract him. 

"Sorry, sir." 

"You better be that's the second time this month." Tony is smiling at him. 

"The first time was an accident! You can't control a bloody nose!" Peter cried out from his laying position. 

"Sure, this is gonna suck kid, maybe hold onto something, not a person." He kneels down next to the couch and Peter nods and grabs the sides of the couch and clenched his teeth. 

Tony leaned over his side and spoke to the air, "Friday is it still intact?" 

"There seems to be three pieces of fragmented bullet, sir, here is a scan." An AI's voice rang through the silent room.

A blue screen popped up right in front of the mechanic and he studied it before turning to Peter, "Ready, kid?" 

Peter nodded and squeezed the couch. He immediately tensed when Tony began working and groaned when he pulled the tweezers out, "one." 

With the second piece he cried out, his back arching above the couch in an attempt to escape the pain.

"Two." 

He had tears running down his face with the third, his back twisting and holding back his screams. 

"Three." 

He let out his breath in a rush of air and wiped the tears from his eyes, "Thanks, Mr. Stark." 

"Hey, it's my job." He reached over and rubbed Peter's shoulder, "I'm going to get something to clean you up, I'm sorry I wasn't there." 

Peter shook his head, "It's not your fault." 

Tony just stared at him for a moment before giving his shoulder one more comforting squeeze and standing up, "I'll be right back." 

 

"Holy shit, Peter that was wild." Ned was the first to speak. 

"Yeah it kind of sucked though." He laughed and looked at MJ, who'd been quiet since the car, "Sorry." 

"Oh my god Parker stop saying sorry, it's not your fault, you saved someone!" She threw her hands up, "You're infuriating." 

He smiled at her, "You love it." 

She was about to shoot something back at him but Tony walked back in and raised an eyebrow, "I hope you're not already arguing." 

"You have no idea." Ned rolled his eyes. 

"Okay let's clean this up then you're going to be in the med bay for a day." He held his hand up before Peter could protest and cleaned him up, bandaging up his side and washing the blood from his face. 

Tony carried him to what appeared to be Peter's personal room where the boy fell asleep almost immediately as he hit the soft bed. Then he lead them to the guest rooms and left them with directions to the kitchen and instructions to ask Friday anything and to call him if necessary. 

 

When MJ woke up the next morning it took her a moment to remember everything that had happened the night before, Peter, Spider-Man, the bullet wound. She threw off her covers and pulled her shoes back on before looking up at the ceiling, she wondered what she had to do to talk to Friday. 

"May I assist you with anything Miss Jones?" The AI seemed to read her mind. 

"Um, could you tell me how to get to Peter's room?" She felt awkward asking someone who didn't actually have a body. 

"Of course, his room is the second room on the left, right across from Boss's room." Friday supplied. 

"Thank you." 

"Of course!" If the AI resembled anyone she resembled Peter's aunt, with her cheerful voice and readiness to help, although she supposed that was the AI's job. 

She crept through the hallway, trying not to wake anyone up, assuming they were all asleep. Peter's door was opened when she stood in front of it, by Friday she assumed and she looked in to see Peter scrolling through articles on a lit screen above him. 

"Hi, Peter." She waved from the doorway, unsure of whether to go in or not. 

"MJ!" Peter waved the screen away absently and motioned for her to come in and even patted the bed next to him, "Come in." 

She sat on the bed beside him and smiled, "How are you feeling?" 

"Well far better than last night." He joked, "Are you okay?" 

"You're asking me?" 

"Well, it probably wasn't fun finding out, any of that." He paused then looked up at her.

"I'm just glad you're okay." She brushed up against his shoulder and immediately wondered if she shouldn't have, but he seemed relieved too and leaned more into her. 

"I forgot to tell you, I like your outfit." He reached over and intertwined his hand with hers, "The yellow suits you." 

She squeezed his hand, "And Spider-Man suits you." 

"I thought you'd be disappointed, that under the mask it was just me." He swallowed a lump in his throat, "I thought you'd want it to be someone like Mr. Stark." 

"Well, Peter, no one can live up to Tony Stark." She laughed, "But you're exactly what I wanted, you're perfect." 

"You're exactly what I wanted too." He was smiling again. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you enjoyed!


End file.
